The Readers' Writers: Film producer and author Max Elliot Anderson

Friday

Jul 29, 2011 at 12:01 AMJul 29, 2011 at 10:27 PM

Max Elliot Anderson writes the books he would have liked to have read while a boy. To understand that statement is to understand Max's life. His film producer father wrote 70 books, but Max was drawn to the wonders of the studio and devoted much of his life to film.

DA Kentner

Max Elliot Anderson writes the books he would have liked to have read while a boy.

To understand that statement is to understand Max's life. His film producer father wrote 70 books, but Max was drawn to the wonders of the studio and devoted much of his life to film.

A husband and father, Max now resides in Rockford, Ill., after traveling the world in his film pursuits. And his accomplishments are remarkable.

"Pilgrim's Progress," featuring acclaimed actor Liam Neeson, won Max a Best Cinematographer award. The PBS special "Gospel at the Symphony" garnered an Emmy nomination and won a Grammy for the double album. Max also won national Telly awards (the non-theatrical equivalent to the Oscar) for his productions of "Youth Haven," a "Safe Place for Kids," and "Tracy's Choices," and he has been directly involved in over 500 TV commercials for True Value Hardware Stores.

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Max's life changed. A passion within him awakened and he began to write. To date, Max has seen seven of his books for boys published. They range from the "Newspaper Caper," a mystery filled with thrills and humor, to "Legend of the White Wolf," a tale of devotion and a unique, lifelong bond.

Yet, while all of Max's stories are well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable, sometimes within a writer is one story whose telling becomes as necessary as air. For Max it was "When the Lights Go Out." While the tale is designed to entertain and enlighten children about 9/11, I believe it is also about this deeply religious and compassionate author's coming to terms with an event that altered his own course and destiny.

Q. What do you think was the inner driving force that compelled you to write "When the Lights Go Out"?

A. As I’ve spoken in schools, I began to realize something. Children who are 8 to 13 today, know little or nothing about what happened on 9/11 or why it’s important in their lives. I talked with a few adults about this and found their experiences were the same. We do a good job of teaching about D-Day, and Pearl Harbor, but not so well with 9/11. With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this year, I thought it would be a good opportunity to draw attention through a story that kids would also find exciting to read at the same time.

Q. What one message do you hope readers walk away with after reading "When the Lights Go Out"?

A. No matter what your age, it’s important to be aware that there are still people in the world who would like to do us harm. Even children can notice things that aren’t right, and then tell someone about it.

Q. You also write for Guideposts, True Stories of Extraordinary Answers to Prayer. To what do you attribute your abiding faith in God?

A. I was raised in a family of seven children. My father rubbed elbows with lots of people in various ministries. When I was a child, frequent guests in our home included pastors, missionaries, recording artists, actors, and more. I could sense the genuine commitment these people had, and how their faith had helped to chart a course in their lives. My parents also had a positive spiritual influence on me, making issues of faith quite a natural part of a full and balanced life.

Q. "Tracy's Choices" also won The Christian Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary. The true story of a young woman's life decisions and the ultimate destruction those choices had on her, you filmed it with your trademark compassion. What was it about this particular woman that affected you strongly?

A. I think it was the fact that Tracy grew up in a fairly typical Midwest town. Even she admitted that she never expected her life to turn out the way it did. And yet, it was because of the choices she made at each fork in the road so to speak. My interest in producing the project grew out of the fact that society, at the time, told young people that they weren’t accountable or responsible for their actions. What happened to them, especially if it had a negative outcome, was someone else’s fault and they were just the victim. Tracy simply proved that we are each ultimately responsible for our own lives.

Q. You avail yourself to schools and welcome opportunities to speak with children and parents about the importance of reading in education.

A. I grew up hating to read. Since my father had published so many books during his lifetime, I had to find out why I’d never been motivated to read any of them. This caused me to study nearly 300 books in bookstores and the library. From want I discovered, I began to craft the kinds of stories I would have enjoyed reading as a child. Reading is so important because kids today are not required to use much of their imaginations. Videos, TV, video games, DVDs and other electronic devices, do all their imagining for them. And as I tell kids, readers are the leaders others follow.